MANILA (UCAN): The religious sisters from the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines [RMP] issued a statement on denouncing the criminal charge filed by the Department of Justice on August 15, red-tagging them and accusing them of financing terrorism and violating the country’s anti-terrorism law [Sunday Examiner, August 21].
“All these allegations and charges were not based on solid evidence and have demonised the works of our religious congregation,” the sisters said in the statement released on August 18.
The statement said the RMP have been forced to defend their position as the allegation of terror financing was the “demonisation” of their missions in the Philippines.
The case has affected their work in the Catholic Church, particularly their presence in farming and fishing villages, they said.
“The accusations have negatively affected our various ministries in sustainable agriculture, education, health, environment protection, and defense of humans. When our fight for the common good is at stake, especially the interests and rights of the poor and the marginalised, we must speak,” they added.
This is part of the worsening state of repression against human rights defenders, especially those who are against the policies of two former Presidents Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., and Rodrigo Duterte… Why is the government—especially from Duterte to Marcos, Jr., hell-bent on using all resources at its disposal to shut down the congregating for good
Rural Missionaries of the Philippines
The Department of Justice filed a criminal charge against 16 individuals, including five nuns from the congregation, for a non-bailable offense of allegedly giving and soliciting funds for the Communist Party of the Philippines [CPP] and its armed wing, the New People’s Army [NPA].
The justice department had claimed that that the RMP sisters failed to refute the allegations and charges against them, which led the prosecutor to believe there was probable cause to indict them of the charge.
However, the sisters said that their indictment was part of government repression to silence dissenters.
“This is part of the worsening state of repression against human rights defenders, especially those who are against the policies of two former Presidents Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., and Rodrigo Duterte… Why is the government—especially from Duterte to Marcos, Jr., hell-bent on using all resources at its disposal to shut down the congregating for good?” the sisters asked.
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The RMP sisters expressed their concern over the alleged concocted testimonies of two former members of the NPA who testified that their congregation had been helping terrorists.
“In exchange for her mother’s release, she [one of the government’s witnesses] executed a spurious statement accusing RMP members of channeling funds to the CPP-NPA,” the statement said.
The message is very clear. Those who want to criticise the present [Marcos] administration should think twice or suffer the consequence of facing criminal prosecution
Bishop Arturo Bastes
The sisters also noted that the information was extracted from purported former communist members with techniques used by of the former [Duterte] administration against its critics.
“The Marcos, Jr’s government is using the same playbook by predecessor [Rodrigo] Duterte by demonising legal democratic organisations such as RMP which provide much-needed services to the people and putting its members in direct harm’s way,” the statement said.
The sisters termed the allegation of terrorist financing as “preposterous” ane pointed out that “all our projects and activities are well-documented, reported and accounted for.”
Bishop Arturo Bastes, retired bishop of the Diocese of Sorsogon, said that in charghing the RMP sisters, the state intended to send a “chilling warning” to silence Marcos and Duterte dissenters in the Catholic Church.
“The message is very clear. Those who want to criticise the present [Marcos] administration should think twice or suffer the consequence of facing criminal prosecution,” Bishop Bastes said.
Catholics have also expressed dismay with one, Rommel Ducut, lamenting, “How can I say something against Marcos if priests and nuns are being threatened to go to jail? If religious congregations are charged, they can afford lawyers. But an ordinary employee like me can’t afford it.”
